GM axes afternoon shift at Lordstown

LORDSTOWN — General Motors is cutting the afternoon shift from its Lordstown complex starting April 6.

About 800 workers are to be laid off when the plant goes down to one shift, said Chris Lee, a GM spokeswoman.

These layoffs are in addition to the 2,000 furloughs that were announced at the end of last year as part of the elimination of the midnight shift and slowing down of the assembly line. The assembly and fabricating plants were shut down all of this month and were to reopen Feb. 2 with two shifts per day instead of three.

Lee said the assembly plant will open with both shifts Feb. 2, but then the two shifts will alternate weekly between Feb. 9 and March 30. One shift will be on, while the other will be laid off. He said he wasn't sure how staffing would be handled at the fabricating plant, which produces metal parts used at the assembly plant.

GM also announced that it was cutting the afternoon shift at a plant in Lansing, Mich., starting March 30. About 1,200 workers will be laid off.

Lee said cuts are being made to align production with falling demand for cars. The Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 are produced in Lordstown.